60 Years of Scientific Excellence

When the Cancer Research Institute was founded in 1953, we knew then that immune-based treatments would transform cancer medicine. In more than six decades since, we've made numerous groundbreaking discoveries that have given more patients new hope today.

60th Anniversary Annual Awards

The Cancer Research Institute held its 27th Annual Awards Dinner on Monday, September 30, 2013, at Cipriani 42nd. At this year's event, which celebrated the Institute's 60th anniversary, CRI presented the Oliver R. Grace Award for Distinguished Service in Advancing Cancer Research to Sean Parker for his work with Stand Up to Cancer and outstanding dedication to cancer immunotherapy through funding support of the SU2C-CRI Cancer Immunology Translational Research Dream Team. The second recipient of the award is Dr. Bahija Jallal, executive vice president of AstraZeneca and head of MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca. Dr. Jallal is being honored for her work as part of the groundbreaking collaboration between MedImmune, CRI, and Ludwig Cancer Research to bring three promising immunotherapies into clinical trials.

CRI also bestowed the William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic and Tumor Immunology to Dr. Michael Karin of the University of California, San Diego, for his groundbreaking work on the role of chronic inflammation in the development of tumors and his work demonstrating how external stimuli can control the activity of pathways and transcription factors that are responsible for regulating innate immunity and inflammation.

And CRI awarded the Frederick W. Alt Award for New Discoveries in Immunology to Dr. Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, CEO and director of scientific affairs at the Cancer Research Institute, for her role as a driving force in forging collaborative research required and in building the necessary infrastructure to facilitate translation of discoveries in the field to the clinic.